Ramadan is best enjoyed when it is experienced with its full essence and where the whole society becomes generous and humble.
This is what Dominic Foley, a British Muslim and the Da’ee at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque, likes about being in Qatar during Ramadan. He loves the peace and calmness he feels here during the holy month.
Community recently spoke to Dominic, who reverted to Islam in 2014, and sought his views on Ramadan in Qatar.
The Islamic Da’ee knew not much about Ramadan before he became a Muslim. “I think I only had the idea that Ramadan is a month when the Muslims fast. I knew nothing at all about fasting.”
He changed his religion on the eve of Ramadan in 2004 in the UK. “In my journey to Islam, I learnt about Ramadan from holy Qur’an. When I fasted in the initial days, I had the idea of only basics of fast and that is no food and no drinks. I knew the details of fasting Ramadan is different from Christian understanding. In my early days, I observed a lot. Nobody was teaching me and I was not having any lessons in fasting and Islam.
“In the second year, I knew how we should fast with the intention of having no food, no drinks, and no marital relations. The idea of the timing became clearer like Suhoor and Iftar. I learnt about merits of fasting and the rewards Allah has for it. I came to know about the aspects of Ramadan such as feeding other people at Iftar. On the top of all that, it was the behavioural changes that went with it. When I fast, I need to control my gaze, speech, listening and my negative emotions. It requires one to become really mindful. It brings a practical sort of changes in one’s life like how we interface with that is around us.”
Regarding the different experiences of Ramadan in UK and Qatar, Dominic says that a fast is a fast everywhere. The idea is to get connected with the Qur’an and offering Tarawih.
“In UK, there is Muslim community but you are at your own. Not much changes during Ramadan in UK. The Muslims may support but the society as a whole does not change. In Qatar, the society changes completely. The work hours both for the Muslims and non-Muslims change here during Ramadan. There is a benefit for everybody during Ramadan.
“The place generally seems to calm down. There is less frantic behaviour. I mean the people are still working but there does not seem to be anxiety or rush that you get the rest of the time. The shops are far busier. There is much more hospitality.”
He smilingly added: “Ramadan is not about all you can eat. There are many Iftar parties. There are Iftar tents everywhere. There is a huge community consciousness of feeding people. They start Suhoor when Iftar finishes. Food is available all night. There are Ramadan TV shows.
“I have an issue with overconsumption of food. I am also aware that Islam encourages hospitality and to be generous for the guests. Where there is Iftar, there is also a sense of having guests so you are going to be generous.”
Dominic further said: “This year I am trying to balance the generosity with the abstinence. The idea is to observe fasting and at the same time to be generous towards the guests.”
Dominic likes Ramadan in Qatar. “This year I consciously made the choice to be here. I would rather be here in the Muslim land surrounded by the Muslims. The whole environment here is Islamic. The mosques are full. Things are accommodating here as we embrace Ramadan. In the UK, you embrace Ramadan but nothing else does. Given the choice, you would rather be with the Muslims in Ramadan. You get the whole thing.”
DEDICATED: Dominic Foley says he would rather be in a Muslim land surrounded by Muslims in Ramadan.
